"Are you registered as disabled?"

Savvy_Sue

I was registering for a health programme which is part of the NHS this afternoon. Along with the usual questions for equalities monitoring, I was somewhat taken aback to be asked "are you registered as disabled?" I asked what was meant, and I explained that there is no longer a national register of disabled people, and this seemed to be news to the person on the other end of the phone! I explained that there USED to be such a register, and employers over a certain size were expected to employ a quota of people so registered, but that this hadn't been in place for MANY years. 

Apparently no-one's ever queried that question before, and they've been asking it for ages. I suggested that they might want to raise this with a supervisor. 

Is this something people find they are asked these days, or was I right to be surprised? 

So surprised I went off to check my facts: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/registering-as-disabled/ The national register ended in 1995. 

MovingForwards

I've not been asked about being registered, but usually asked if I consider myself to have a disability or if I'm disabled.

Savvy_Sue

Absolutely: that's the question I was expecting to be asked. 

KxMx

Yes I often see the phrase Registered Disabled, and like you know there is no such thing apart from sight impairment with some LAs. 

Savvy_Sue

KxMx said:

Yes I often see the phrase Registered Disabled, and like you know there is no such thing apart from sight impairment with some LAs. 

that's the thing I find interesting: I have completed a fair few equalities questionnaires in my time, and honestly can't remember being asked about registration in the last few years. 

If it had been some small, only-just-starting organisation I wouldn't have been SO surprised - but does the NHS not know better?

50Twuncle

I still have a small green card in a plastic envelope - issued to me by the Disability Liason Officer in the Job Centre - 30 years ago - I guess that I am still "registered disabled" because there is no expiry date on it !

Hampshire CC still offer this facility https://forms.hants.gov.uk/en/AchieveForms/?form_uri=sandbox-publish://AF-Process-838a0fee-8332-44c8-b9d8-41e43b4430e0/AF-Stage-1984dfb2-6b57-44b7-a6e1-acd98e45a25e/definition.json&redirectlink=/en&cancelRedirectLink=/en - although meaningless today !

sheramber

I would think the  form was devised by an outside agency who have nothing to do with the NHS.

williewonder

There is an intellectual disability register and mental health register that GP surgeries hold. This entitles the person to their annual health check.

[Deleted User]

I have been asked this on a couple of forms (including a volunteer community transport form).  I then looked at my local council's website and found they only register children as disabled.  I just put yes and let them sort it out.  I doubt they check for something that doesn't exist.

[Deleted User]

Local authorities keep registers of severely sight impaired and sight impaired individuals with a CVI too. 

Savvy_Sue

OK, so we've established that there may be local registration of various kinds for some limited sorts of disability. Another I've thought of is that some local authorities will (or used to) give a bus pass 'early' to some people with certain disabilities. 

But many of us would answer "Yes" to the question "do you consider yourself to have a disability" without in any way being able to be on one of these registers. 

Maybe just me being pernickety, but I hope they get round to re-wording that question ...